These Women Amaze Me!

Have you ever thought that? Ever been a part of something or privileged to witness something that just makes you step back and say, "These women amaze me". I feel I have been BLESSED to be a part of something 'bigger' at least twice now.

When I lived in Ohio I started attending a Thursday morning meeting at Ginghamsburg Church, for women...to be more precise it was for Moms. They would have perhaps a Bible study, a guest speaker, a testimony, a warm breakfast and fellowship. That ministry is called Mom2Mom. I attended, served and was a part of Mom2Mom for 3 years. It left a HUGE impact on me, my life and the life of my family. An impact, the group will never fully understand.

Since living in England I have missed and hungered for something similar to Mom2Mom. I've tried to fill in the gaps, but nothing seemed to fit. Then nearly a year ago I started asking some questions and found myself entering a gym on base all alone to walk into another room full of women I'd never met. This group call them selves: HIIT. It's primarily women in there, but we do have a few men from time to time. HIIT = High Intensity Interval Training.

Now, this group and I, do not have bible study, haven't really heard any testimonies or seen any guest speakers and breakfast...well unless it's coming up the throat and out the mouth I haven't seen that either. I however have been to a movie night & sports bar, a going away picnic, a baby shower, a book club meeting, a Paleo seminar (not sure what to call it), Mad Monk mud run, The Spartan Challenge, a Sprint Triathlon, and a few 5K's.

The events with each group are completely different. I'm not sure the connection with the HIIT ladies is as close as the connection with the M2M women, but there is a connection all the same. With HIIT, it's a athletic, fitness, healthy, competitive, challenging, and sweaty connection. With M2M, it was more of a deep personal connection. I suppose with time (if given - military life you know) that deeper connections within HIIT would be formed as well.

However, HIIT has filled the gap and I love these ladies just as much as the M2M women. We have some crazy times...example: Sprint Triathlon. That was nuts and an experience I'll never forget. One thing I can say about both groups, is each as given me a little more courage or helped me find courage I didn't know I had. For that, I am thankful.

Each time I see something come across the Ladies Workout Group on Facebook, I automatically think: "These women amaze me!" Not 24 hours after our Sprint Triathlon, we were looking for our next fix. Not 12 hours after London Marathon rejections we were looking for a new marathon to train for. Mud runs or Obstacle course challenges are usually planned months in advance, no time to stop and look for the next one cause it's already been found.

I keep wondering how I get myself signed up for these things...yet I'm the one that goes to the link of which ever website, puts my info in, and pays the bill. As long as I know I'm not going alone, I find myself signing up and taking part in the craziness.

I go through all the emotions:

• Do I really want to do this?
• Can I really complete that?
• Did you watch that video, are you sure you wanna put your name in on that one?
• Seriously, you want me to jump over fire and crawl threw ice?
• You do realize we're talking 8 miles of mud in November right?
• Oh, I can't believe I just signed up for that!
• What was I thinking!
• I feel sick!
• I'm so nervous!

...and then, then it's time. Time to see just what I am capable of and at the end, after the crossing of the finish line the emotions go like this:

• I can not believe I just did that!!!
• Holy cow!
• That was crazy!
• What was my time!!!
• Did you get a good pictures?
• Did everybody finish? Awesome! You did so great!
• I need a massage!
• I'm so hungry I could eat a horse
• Where's the beer?

...then we slowly come down from that high, it's...

• I'm so tired.

...from 2 to 24 hours after it becomes...

• what's next?
• where's the next one?
• when is it?
• are we doing it?
• lets get training

and finally, it's the day after. Now, I'm not quiet sure how to describe this feeling because not all women are like me, so some may understand my description and some may think I've got it all wrong...but...

...well.......................................................................................................................................

Here, let's let Trace describe it for us: One of those nights. hahaha, I know, you think I'm crazy! It's alright, I'll agree with you. Let me make it clearer...

With each event we do there is a few similar feelings:

• Have you ever had one of those days, you wake up feeling good, so good that you could take the whole world on?
• One of those days, when you just know no matter what, nothing in the world could go wrong
• I always have one of those days after one of those nights -example: the day after completing the Sprint Tri or one the other events - I bet we all felt we could take the whole world on
• Which leads to looking up the next event...
• Have you ever had one of those smile, you just can't wipe away, the sweet anticipations too strong....(all those nerves)
• One of those smiles you wear all day, cause you can taste the kiss and passion waiting back home - - - well if your spouse watched, saw pictures, or participated with you - - - then you can figure that one out on your own! I think they kinda like us in workout gear (wink)
• I have not yet walked away without a smile from one of these crazy events - day of or after :)

Now see, it makes sense doesn't it? :) You just walk away from one of these crazy events feeling so accomplished that you do feel like you could take the whole world on, know what I mean?

Anyway, the point of this post was basically to tell you what amazing creatures we are. We may not think it, we may not realize it and then someday, somewhere...something happens and you step back, take a good hard look at yourself and say, "I can't believe I just did that!" At that moment you'll realize that perhaps you are just a little bit amazing yourself.

Perhaps you can do that on your own, perhaps you can't. Perhaps you need a group to belong to, a place to fit in...to fill the gap - and that is perfectly okay, because you know what? It's a lot more fun to do these things with equally amazing people; to cheer each other on and celebrate the accomplishments together.

So do me a favor, instead of going to the mirror and saying; "I am Beautiful", today I want you to go look yourself dead in the eye and say, "I am Amazing!" - the key is, I also want you to mean it.

Dig in. Find it. It's there.